About keeping the Sabbath holy

[hopeforfaith]

I have read somewhere in this site that the Sabbath is Saturday. Why is that? Also, I want to know if doing some work on Sunday is ok? (if Sunday is the Sabbath, which I think it is) I know we should rest that day because God told us so. But I want to know if that means not stressing yourself out over work? Because it’s impossible NOT to work sometimes. Like you have lots of work to do, or an examination the next day. So… any answers to that?

 

[LilyM]

I’ve read it too - but I’ve yet to see any clear-cut official Church teaching that Saturday is in fact the Sabbath. Certainly all the obligations attached by the Jews to Saturdays have been transferred since the time of Christ to Sundays.

As for your second question - for some people (but not all) it may indeed be truly impossible not to have to work on Sundays. And doing necessary work on that day is fine.

It’s when you do UNnecessary work - work that you could with a little effort do during the rest of the week, or work that you don’t strictly have to do at all - on a Sunday that it then becomes a problem.

 

[tee_eff_em]

I’ve read it too - but I’ve yet to see any clear-cut official Church teaching that Saturday is in fact the Sabbath. Certainly all the obligations attached by the Jews to Saturdays have been transferred since the time of Christ to Sundays.

Saturday is the Sabbath by definition! But for *clear-cut official Church teaching *you may turn to the Catechism, #'s 2168-2188, eg (with emphasis added):
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath

which it follows chronologically every week

; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ
tee

 

[fermat]

It is important to remember that the Sabbath is a Jewish custom, not a Christian one. As in most Christian customs, the Sabbath foreshadowed how we observe Sunday. We do not need to ‘keep the Sabbath’, just as we do not need to follow the Mosaic law any longer.

As for Sunday, it is appropriate to transfer the concept of non-work to that day.

 

[Pythons]

This question ( Saturday Sabbath ) was raised in the time of the Apostles & was presented as a matter of Salvation…
…To which Sacred Scripture speaks.
Acts 15:

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, AND to command them to keep the law of Moses

In Judaism one could NOT observe the Sabbath w/out being circumcised…
…It was the “gateway” to being a part of Israel.
…In fact the Jewish teaching was that a Gentile who attempted to keep Sabbath.
…Deserved to die.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 15 we can read how some Jewish converts to Christianity…
…Attempted to force the law of Moses on Gentile converts to Christianity.
…What follows is the Apostolic teaching on why that understanding is false.

What remains in force is the Moral or Natural Law of God…
…Which is perpetual and in force at all times.
…Such as murder, stealing, sleeping with another mans wife, etc,etc,etc.
…Actions we are instructed by “Nature” to abstain from.

While we can see every culture in history has had rules dealing with stealing, murder, etc…
…Man is not commanded by Nature to observe a Saturday Sabbath.
…Therefore the Sabbath, as to time celebrated, is part of the Jewish ceremonial law.
…Which was closed out by Christ.
…And was ONLY intended for the Jews.